West U Elementary School PTO

How Can You Share Your Talents With West U Elementary? GET INVOLVED WITH THE PTO IN 2023–2024! The West University Elementary School PTO is always looking for new volunteers to help out with special projects; educational event nights like STEM Night and Art Night; Boo Bash Carnival; Auction Party; Family Events, etc. We would love to have you volunteer! Contact a current Board Member or committee chair if you have additional questions about their specific events. Or, for generic inquiries, please feel free to reach out to the PTO President. West University PTO Executive Board and Activity Chair Positions President: Oversees and helps coordinate all PTO activities and general PTO meetings; represents WUES at HISD meetings; works regularly with WUES staff; an ex-officio member of SDMC and West U Foundation. President-Elect: Presides over the PTO in the absence of the President; assists the President; an ex-officio member of SDMC and West U Foundation. This is a two-year commitment as after the first year it steps into the President role. Treasurer – EXPENSE: Administers day-to-day financial operations with regard to payments owed by the PTO; reviews reimbursement forms and manages all check requests and payment requests. ​ Treasurer – INCOME: Administers day-to-day financial operations pertaining to income raised by the PTO; manages all deposits of funds raised as well as reconciles monthly financials. VP Fundraising: Plans strategy and provides oversight for all the fundraising committees noted below; oversees corporate underwriting campaigns and helps manage corporate sponsor relationships. Annual Party/Auction In-Kind Sponsorships Book Fair Boo Bash Carnival Sociables Sociables Color Run Dances Corporate Sponsorships Birthday Book Club Underwriting West U Gear VP Service: Plans and oversees service projects with the school administration, including the Day of Service, Souper Bowl of Caring, and two additional service events. Also works with the Recycling Committee. VP Curriculum Enrichment: Plans, oversees, and helps coordinate enrichment programs with teachers and school staff, including: Art Night Name That Book Bluebonnet Breakfast Odyssey of the Mind Junior Achievement Math Club International Festival STEM Night Brick Club Positive Behavior Program No Place for Hate VP Instructional Support: Assists in developing and coordinating instructional support programs for the school in conjunction with WUES staff. This includes coordination of school supplies and agenda ordering prior to school starting, as well as helping with the lost and found. VP Budget and Finance: Prepares and manages the budget; reviews and presents budgetary requests from staff and PTO members/Chairs; monitors expenses; and distributes budget to all respective Chairs each year with periodic updates. VP Membership and Volunteers: Assists in acquiring volunteers for school-led events like photo day, school programs, orientation, etc.; oversees Hospitality Committee for school events and teacher appreciation, including Fantastic Friday lunches. Also oversees the PTO membership drive and ensures PTO members receive their benefits. Library Volunteers Hospitality Committee (for WUES Staff) Back to School Bash New Families Welcome Committee Grounds Committee Garden Committee West U 101/Orientation Padres Club PTO Membership VP Room Representative: Plans and coordinates the efforts of grade-level representatives and room parents; prepares room parent shared folder and sites; ensures that HISD and school policies are communicated to room parents, as well as all school-wide events. Grade Level Representatives (one or two per grade) VP Communications: Coordinates all communications and publicity for the organization including the PTO website, Mustang News e-blasts, and social media. Yearbook Directory Webmaster Mustang News Coordinator Social Media Grade-Level Photo Representatives Secretary: Prepares and distributes the agendas and minutes for general PTO and executive board meetings. Coordinates the design and ordering for the Monday folders, and the printing and distribution of the first-day packets with WUES staff. Appointed PTO Executive Board Positions Parliamentarian: Advises on parliamentary procedure, ensures that the bylaws are upheld, and chairs the Nominating Committee. Also responsible for selecting the Nominating Committee and ensuring they are voted on at the February general PTO meeting. HISD Liaison: Represents WUES at HISD FACE/parent meetings and events, as requested, and communicates with school staff and PTO membership regarding HISD activities and policies that will impact the school. Also ensures HISD security are scheduled at every after hours PTO-sponsored activity. Other Appointed Positions Shared Decision-Making Committee (SDMC): PTO President appoints two to three parent members. The goal of this committee is to review the district’s educational goals, objectives, and major district-wide classroom instructional programs. This Committee is led by the WUES Principal and also includes WUES staff, teachers, and community members. West U Foundation Trustees Appointed Members: PTO President appoints five trustees. Members serve up to a five-year term.

SDMC members for the 2023–2024 school year are Nancy Kate Prescott, Emily Carrere and Marion Woerner. ​ WUES’s Shared Decision-Making Model is based on the premise that decisions that affect the school should be made as close to the school as possible, and that members of the school community who are affected by those decisions should have input into the decision-making process. ​ Decision-Making Process The SDMC serves as an advisory group that assists the principal in making decisions. As established by state law and district policy, the ultimate responsibility for the school and the final authority on the school campus is vested in the principal. The SDMC properly concerns itself with goals and strategic planning and providing a voice for all members of the school community. ​ The SDMC carefully assesses both sides of every issue and reaches a decision that the committee feels is best for the total school population. The SDMC will strive to reach all decisions by consensus; however, the SDMC Committee reserves the right to vote. Any SDMC member may call for a secret ballot. Each member of the SDMC shall have one vote, including the Principal. Only elected or appointed members of the Committee may vote (no substitutes). The voting quorum will be two-thirds of the Committee. ​ Method of Communication Committee members, parents, teachers, and other interested individuals will bring their concerns or suggestions to the Shared Decision–Making Committee by submitting a Shared Decision-Making Process Form (“Yellow Form”). These forms are available in a designated box in the main office. Completed forms should be submitted to the main office at least ten days prior to the regularly scheduled SDMC meetings. Concerns that should be dealt with by the administration will be referred to the Principal. Concerns or suggestions not referred to the Principal are added to the SDMC meeting agenda. ​ Copies of the minutes of SDMC meetings shall be distributed to members of the committee, to each employee at the school, filed in the SDMC Notebook in the front office, and shall be made available to members of the general public upon request. A summary of the SDMC meeting minutes will be communicated to the school community via the Monday folders by the SDMC Secretary. ​ Organizational Structure There are three (3) standing committees: Curriculum – Budget – Operations/Service. Curriculum The member of this committee will include the PTO vice-president for Curriculum Enrichment. The committee will be responsible for reviewing information and making recommendations relating to curriculum and teaching methodologies. Budget Committee The members of this committee will include the school financial secretary, the PTO vice-president for Budget and Finance, and the PTO Treasurer. The committee will be responsible for reviewing information and making recommendations relating to budgets, alternate funding sources, budgetary allocations, and budget requests. Service/ Operations Committee The members of this committee will include the PTO vice-president for Room Representatives. The committee will be responsible for reviewing information and making recommendations relating to any service or operation of the school. ​ Subcommittees All Subcommittees will meet at the beginning of the year to elect a chairperson, a secretary, and to determine a meeting schedule. Staffing Committee The Staffing Committee will consist of a representative of the grade level teachers, a parent, and the Principal, and other members at the principal’s discretion. The Principal has the authority to make the final decision. The committee will meet on an “as needed” basis. The principal also has the authority to bypass the committee in an emergency situation, or in a situation when it is not possible to form a committee such as school vacations, etc. Ad Hoc Committees Ad Hoc committees are work teams created by SDMC to do analysis and research on specific issues or areas of concern. The committee is comprised of members of our school community. An SDMC member will serve as an advisor. The Ad Hoc Committee will be dissolved by the SDMC once it has accomplished the task or assignment it was assigned to do. These committees will meet on an “as needed” basis. Ad Hoc committees will report to the SDMC.

The WUES PTO is a group that joins parents, teachers, and staff together to address the learning needs of our children and improve the quality of their education. The PTO’s key mission is to promote an environment at school where teachers and administrators can do their best work and students can do their best learning. Family memberships are a significant source of funding for the PTO, enabling continued support of our amazing school! Your financial contribution allows us to sponsor many programs and events that enhance the standard school curriculum and benefit every child at the school. Some of these things include: • Curriculum Enrichment (Art Night, STEM Night, International Festival) • Educational Support, including instructional materials and teacher professional development • Assistance with the cost of furnishing classrooms and many of the classroom materials • Staff appreciation events, including Wonderful Wednesdays and staff breakfasts and lunches • Facility and playground maintenance • Equipment to support the safety of our teachers, students, and staff Thank you for your continued support of West University Elementary School! ​ When you join the PTO, it is for the current school year only. PTO Membership and benefits do not roll into the next school year. ​

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Do you know what the PTO does at West University Elementary School? Do you have any idea what the membership fees and fundraising $$ provide for our children? Take a look below at some of the many educational tools and experiences PTO funds subsidize or fund completely. And then, become a member of the PTO, donate to our Annual Family Donation Drive, and Volunteer!

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Please email info@westupto.org.

Yes, but ONLY for PTO-sponsored events, clubs, school fundraisers, etc. PLEASE NOTE: If you're submitting a request on behalf of an organization within our community, hosting an event within our community, a sponsor, or business interested in sharing information with our school—please first submit your request HERE. Once approved, your organization is responsible for printing and dropping off the flyers at the main office. DO NOT DROP FLYERS OFF WITHOUT SUBMITTING THE FORM, they will be recycled. 😀

Yes, we are happy to help for PTO-sponsored projects/events. Just make sure to submit within the time frames above and we'll help get it sorted. (Side Note: we have LOTS of super creative people on the PTO and in our WUES community who can help with designs, logos, flyers, etc. Don't be afraid to ask!)

Request deadlines: CLICK HERE to submit a request! :)

YES, but only PTO-sponsored/managed events, clubs, and school activities. For example, Boo Bash, Auction, Fun Run, Brick Club, Math Club, Art Night, International Festival, etc. We do not create pages that are managed/hosted outside of the PTO. For example, West University Halloween Fun Run or Southside Winter Carnival. ALL community events and organizations MUST submit a flyer for approval, and if/when approved, THEY must supply the flyers and drop them off in the front office. We list it on the Community Bulletin Board on the PTO website or flyers can go in Monday Folders.

Yes. Click Here